Assistant Foreign Minister Wu Hongbo addressed the opening ceremony of the first China-Arab Press Cooperation Forum held in Beijing from April 23 to 24, 2008.

Wu noted that the press of both China and Arab countries shoulder the important mission of promoting the understanding and friendship of people of both sides and strengthening China-Arab cooperation. He indicated hope that the press communities of both sides enhance business, personnel and technological exchanges, cover each other more comprehensively and make new contributions to carrying on China-Arab friendship and reinforcing cooperation.

Talking about the upcoming Beijing Olympic Games, he extended welcome to the Arab media to cover the event in Beijing and convey the vision of "peace, friendship and progress" of Olympics as well as the friendship of the Chinese people with the Arab people to the Arab nations.

With the theme of strengthening media cooperation and enhancing China-Arab friendship, the forum is co-hosted by the Information Office of the State Council and the Secretariat of the League of Arab States (LAS) and attended by about 150 delegates from the governments and media of 22 LAS nations, the LAS Secretariat as well as the Chinese government officials, chiefs of mainstream media, experts and scholars. The forum not only builds a platform for the collective dialogue and cooperation between the Chinese and Arab media but also stimulates the institutional construction of "China-Arab States Cooperation Forum". During the forum, both sides issued the China-Arab press cooperation forum communiqué and signed a memorandum of understanding on the friendly cooperation of media of China and LAS members.